My Visual Communications class is doing a board game design project. I am struggling to come up with worthy concepts. A classmate found this great this great review of a book on the topic, and I was impressed enough to buy the book in PDF form.

The first bit of advice you get in the book is to maintain a childlike mind during the conceptualizing stage. I don't know if I have a childlike mode that I can shift into. Being a child was pretty awful for me, so I don't normally revisit that part of my life. But I am trying to keep a sense of fun. If I don't find my game concept fun, then nobody else will either.

Any advice from those of you who have designed games? (chadu, I am looking at you.)

I am not sure if Wild Yeasts will work, given that we are expected to come up with a "theme" that we then apply to all parts of the game, so I am thinking "spooky" or "steampunk" or something else that I have a lot of knowledge about and can play off of. But for game mechanics, I will take your advice, and keep it super simple. Thanks again!

Wok star looks amazing! I don't think I have that kind of talent. And, no, I don't think we ever played Lord of the Fries. It also looks cool if... gross. I regret not playing more games now that I have to design one! Fortunately, in class on Thursday we are spending the whole class playing games!

If you want to keep it childlike, my suggestion would be a board game called "Wrigglers" where the players are earthworms trying to avoid obstacles around the board in order to make it to their goal, a garden compost heap. Hazards can include draw cards like, "A hard rain forces you to the surface to breath. Lose one turn waiting for the ground to dry out." Obstacles could include, "Cross a hot sidewalk" and "Hungry birds abound. Try to hide!" Bonuses might be "You find tasty offal -- your energy increases by 10!" and "The earth has been freshly turned making burrowing easier. Jump ahead two squares!" Not only do kids find worms fascinating, but the concept can include a good dose of subtle messages about the importance of the working with nature instead of against it, the importance of being good stewards of the earth, and how that even the smallest, weakest things (worms) have an important role to play in the cycle of life.

If you would like to borrow my child's brain for a few hours,he would LOVE to talk about Game Design and how to be playfulabout it. He wants to be a game designer when he grows upand at 12, he is doing everything in his power to make hisdream come true.

Thanks very much Louise. Wow, is he 12 already? It seems like you got pregnant last week... time is funny.

I am actually moving through the conceptualizing phase pretty fast. I don't think it'll be necessary for me to get a child's help at this point, but I'd be delighted to talk with him about gaming at some point. He is such an amazingly bright kid!

Sweetie, your house is full of stuffed animals and Halloween decorations. I don't think you have any trouble getting in touch with your childlike mind. Squeeze the Cow of Happiness for a minute if you need inspiration.

That's funny... a classmate discovered this in PDF form a few days ago, so I have downloaded and am reading it! Thanks for pointing it out. IT is in fact going well. Mercifully I have until mid-November to finish it.